Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-01-13

in the then excited state of the public mind, to
withholdthe forged application and claim from
the co lrts and the public comment. So that for
a year after the murder of Concho and the
flight of his assassins 1.-THE .Blue Mass Min
ing Company remained in undisturbed and
actual possession of the mine, and regned in
their stead.
But the spirit of the murdered Concho
would not down any more than that of the
murdered Banquo, and SO wrought, no doubt,
in quiet, Concho-lke way, sore trouble with
the "Blue Mass Company" For great capi-
talist and master of avarice came down
to the mine and found it fair, and taking one
of the company aside, offered to lend his
name and certain amount of coin for a con-
trolling interest, accompanying the generous
offer with suggestion that if it were not
acceded to be would be compelled to buy up
various Mexican mines and flood the market
with quicksilver to the great detriment of the
"Blue Mass Company, which thoughtful sug-
gestion, offered by a man frequently alluded
to as one Of "California's great mining
princes" and as one who had "done much TO
develop the resources of the state" was not
to be lightly considered; and so, after a eau
tious non-consutation with the company, and
commendable secrecy, the stockholder sold
out. Whereat it was speedily spread abroad
that the Great Capitalist had taken hold of
"Blue Mass" and the stock went up, and the
other stockholders rejoiced-until the Great
Capitalist found it was necessary to put up
expensive mills. to employ high salaried
superintendent--in fact, to develop the mine
by spending of its earnings, SO that the stock
quoted at 1l2 was finally saddled with an as
sesment of $50 per share. Another assess
ment of $50 to enable the superintendent to
proceed to Russia and Spain and examine in
to the workings of the quicksilver mines
there, and also general commission to the
gifted and scientific Pillageman to examine
into the various component parts Of quick
silver, and report if it could not be manufac-
tured from ordinary sandstone by steam or
electricity, speedily brought the other stock
holders to their senses. 1t was at this time
the good fellow 'Tom," the serious minded
"Dick" and the speculative but fortunate
Harry" brokers of the Great Capitalist,
found it convenient to buy up, for the Great
Capitalist aforesaid, the various other shares
at great sacrifice
! fear that have bored my readers in thus
giving the tiresome details Of that ingenious
American pastime which my countrymen dis
miss in their epigrammatic way as the 'freez-
g-out process" And lest any reader should
question the ethics Of the proceeding, / beg
him to remember that one gentleman accom-
plished in this art was always sincere and
direct opponent of the late MIR. John Oak
hurst, gambler.
/ But for once the Great Master of Avarice
had not taken into sufficient account the av-
arice Of others, and was suddenly and virtu-
ously shocked to learn that an application for
a patent for certain lands, known as the RED
Rock Rancho" was about to be offered be-
fore the United States land commission.
This claim covered his mining property. But
the information came quietly and secretly, as
all of the Great Masters information was OBJ
tanned, and he took the opportunity to sell out
his clouded title and his proprietorship to
the only remaining member Of the original
"Blue Mass company,"a young fellow of pith,
before many tongued rumor had voiced the
news far and wide. The blow was heavy
one to the party left in possession. Saddled
by the enormous debts and expenses of the
Great Capitalist, with credit further injured
by the detection of this lucky magnate, who
was admired for his skill in anticipating
loss, and whose REIMBURSEMENT Of any project
meant ruin to it, the Ingle handed, impover-
ished possessor of the mine, whose title was
contested and whose reputation was yet to bs
made-poor Biggs, first secretary and only
remaining officer Of the "Blue Mass com
pany," looked ruefully over his books and
his last transfer, and sighed. But have be-
fore intimated that he was built of good stuff
and that he believed in his work-which was
well-and in himself, which was better; and
So having faith even as grain of mustard
seed, doubt not that he would have been
able to remove that mountain of quicksilver
beyond the overlapping of fraudulent grants.
And, again, Providence-havins disposed Of
these several scamps-raised up TO him
friend. But that friend is of sufficient i'm
portance to this veracious history to deserve
paragraph to himself.
/ The Pylades of this Orestes was known OF
ordinary mortals as Royal Thatcher His
genealogy, birth and education are, take it,
of little account to this chronicle, which is
only concerned with his friendship for Biggs
and the result thereof. He had known Biggs
year or two previously; they had shared
each others purses, hunks, cabins, provisions,
and often friends, with that perfect freedom
from obligation which belonged to the pioneer
life. The varying tide of fortune had Just
then stranded Thatcher on desert sand hill
in San Francisco with an uninsured cargo of
expectations, while to Thatcher's active but
not curious fancy it had apparently lifted his
friends bark over the bar in the Monterey
mountains into an open quicksilver sea. So
that he was considerably surprised on receiv-
ing note from Biggs to this purport:
DEAR Roy: Run down here and help a
fellow. I've too much of a load for one
Maybe we can make team and pun Blue
Mass out yet. BIGGsEY."
Thatcher, sitting in Lis scantily furnished
lodgings, doubtful of his next meal and in
arrears for rent, heard this Macedonian cry
as st. Paul did. He wrote promssory and
soothing note to his landlady, but fearing the
@sweet sorrow" of personal parting, let his
valise down from his window by "a
cord, and by means of an economical com
bination Of stage riding and pedestrianisn,
he presented himself at the close Of the third
day at Biggs' door. In few moments he
was in possession of the story; half an hour
later in possession of half the mine, its infelix
past and its doubtful future. equally with his
friend